Method of burning sulphur



June 5, 31923., ms mi A. T. PRENTICE METHOD OF BURNING SULPHUR Filed June 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented a... a, 11923.

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ARTHUR T. PRENTICE, 0F SOMERSET WEST, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, SOUTH AFRICA.

METHOD OF BURNING SULPHUR.

Application filed June 8, 1922. Serial No. 566,780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ARTHUR TRIGG PnEN'rIon, a citizen of the Union of South Africa, and a British subject, residin at Somerset Vest, in the Province of the ape of Good Hope,

.Union of South Africa, has invented a cer-- tain new and useful process entitled Improved Methods. of Burning Sulphur, of whichthe following is a specification.

In the past sulphur has been burned in a furnace or burner into which cold air at the ordinary atmospheric temperature is introduced with the result that the sulphur is not completely oxidized, part thereof being merely vapourized. The sulphur vapour thus obtained is deposited in the apparatus and is not only lost to some extent but also chokes the apparatus which has to be con stantly cleared from time to time.

The invention relates to the use of air.

which is heated regeneratively by being conducted through flues round the burner before entering the furnace or burner and to the use of asecondary air supply also regeneratively heated to complete the combustion in a separate. combustion flue or chamber.

The apparatus is best explained in relation to the attached drawings.

E. F. in Figure 3. r

Fi re 2 is a sectional elevation on the line Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the line A. B. in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is asectional plan on the line C. D. in Figure '1.

Figure 5 is a plan with the top arch shown in Figure 1 removed.

The apparatus is best constructed of brick. It could also be constructed of other suitable materials which could be used for an ordinary sulphur furnace or burner, but brick is the most suitable material and most frequently used for sulphur burners. Frequently such burners are built with a steel or cast-iron'shell or envelope- The apparatus could similarly be built with such a shell or casing. In fact if of large size it would be particularly adapted to such mode of construction.- In the drawings the material of which the apparatus is constructed is shown shaded.

iti

' The apparatus consists of a burner or H. in Figure 3.

the attached drawings and hereinafter described. 1 is a feed pipe through which the sulphur is introduced into the furnace. or chamber, 3, for burning the sulphur. The sulphur fo burning falls onto trays or hearths, marked 2, of the usual type sup-- ported in the usual Way. There may be one or more trays. 10 is an outlet for ashes. Round this combustion chamber or furnace are a supplementary combustion flue or chamber 4 and two sets of lines 7 and 9. 7 is called primary air flue and 9 is called secondary air flue. 6 is a valve for admitting and re lating the admission of 'airinto flue 7. Th1s air will be call primary air. 8 is a valve for admitting and regulating the admission of air into flue 9. This air is called secondary air. The sulphur is set on fire and burned in the'furnace or burning chamber 3. The furnace Walls are thus heated. Air is admitted through valve 6 into flue 7 near the top of the apparatus. It travels along the flue 7 until it finds its way through the primary air portsll into the furnace or burning chamber. While travelling through flue 7 the air is heated by the heat from the furnace where the sulphur is being burnt and from the combustion flue 4: where the vapourlzed sulphur is burnt as hereafter described so that it enters the furnace in a heated state. The result is far better and more complete burning or oxidization of the sulphur than in the ordinary type of burner hitherto used. However even with this improvement some of the sulphur is still liable to vapourize and be deposited and in order to prevent this as much as possible the apparatus provides a secondary heated air supply with a supplementary combustion flue or chamber. The sulphur dioxide which is the product obtained from burning the sulphur and vapourized sulphur are carried from the furnace through the ports 12 into the combustion flue or chamber 4. The secondary air supply is admitted by valve 8 into flue 9 near the top of the apparatus. "It travels along flue 9 until it finds its way through the secondary air ports 13 into the supplementary combustion flue or chamber 4. In its passage through line 9 this secondary air supply is heated in the same manner as the primary air which passes through flue 7. When this heatedsecondary air enters the supplementary combustion flue or chamber 4 the result is that the vapourized.

sulphur which has passed into same from the of the sulphur vapour in the combustion flue 4 and the'passage of the heated gases along the flue gives off intense heat which further tends to heat the air passing into the apparatus through the flues 7 and 9.

The sulphur dioxide passes along the flue 4 into the exit flue 5 by means of which it leaves the a paratus. The quantity of air. entering the ues 7 and 9 can be regulated by the valves at the inlets 6 and 8.

In practice the valve 8 could be closed only the primary air from flue 7 utilized in the furnace or burner, but although the re sult of such use of heated air in the furnace or burner is better than when cold air is utilized in the ordinaryway yet it is not so eflicacious as when the secondary air is uti lized as well as in combustion flue 4:.

The apparatus can be oblong in shape as shown in the drawings or any other convenient shape.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of his said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, the said ARTHUR TRIGG' PRENTICE declares that what he claims is 1. A sulphur burning furnace having an inner central burner, superposed hearths in the burner, a feed pipe for introducing sulphur to the burner, a combustion chamber into t DBSSBS.

surrounding the burner, a primary air flue surrounding the combustionchamber and communicating with the burner, ports connecting the combustion chamber and the burner, a secondary air flue passing round a portion of the combustion chamber and 1(gommunicating with said combustion chamer. Y

2. A sulphur burning furnace having an inner central burner, superposed hearths in the burner, a feed pipe for introducing sulphur to the burner, a combustion chamber surrounding the burner, means for introducing the vapour produced in the burner into the combustion chamber, means for preheating air by passing itround the combustion chamber. and means for introducing the preheated .air into the burner and into the combustion chamber. v

3. A sulphur burning furnace having an inner central burner, a combustion chamber surrounding the burner, ports for introducing the vapour produced in the burner e combustion chamber, air flues surrounding the combustion chamber for preheating air, means for introducing a part of the air so preheated intothe burner, means,

for introducing a part of the air so preheated into. the combustion chamber and means for controlling the air supply.

In testimony whereof he has hereunto affixed his signature at Cape Town, Union of South Africa, in the presence of two. wit- A. T. PRENTICE.

Witnesses: A. D. BosMAN,

' H. F, Laonsomn, 

